Devore Gibbon X or O/96?

I heard both the 0/93 and the 0/96 in John's room in RMAF a couple of years ago. I really like the speakers and the company, but it struck me that the 93 represented a better price to performance proposition than the 96, and I'm always surprised the 93s don't get more love by people contemplating Devores.

If cost is no object, the 96s by all means, but I don't think I'd personally miss much if I bought the 93s and saved the $.

Enjoy, whatever you do! Both are a very significant upgrade over the 9s, IMO.

John

I'm a little concerned about the physical stability of the 0/96. My room is carpeted with a thin floorboard underneath, and with my Gibbon 9s it takes careful adjustment of the spikes to get the speakers leveled and stable. The 96 has those four wooden legs which can't be adjusted of attached securely to the floor.

I spent about an hour each, listening to the O/93 and Gibbon X last week, both powered by a Devialet 120 although in different rooms. I'm actually going back to listen to the O/96 next week, I liked the O/93 so much. Few caveats: the Gibbon was not broken in when I listened, and the room it was in may have had more issues. I think they're both very capable speakers, but from what I could tell, voiced differently. The Gibbon struck me as more neutral with a larger soundstage and presence, whereas the O/93 was a bit more intimate, involving, with explosive dynamics. Me personally, I'd much rather live with the latter. But I can see how some would prefer the Gibbon, especially if once broken in it sounds much better (my experience was a bit harsh, brittle, and the room has some bad resonances too, making the sound a bit congested).

An update: I made my decision after having an opportunity to listen to the O/96 at a local dealer, and bought them on the spot. This is indeed a different animal than the Devore 9s. They go louder and are more dynamic with my Shindo gear. The soundstage they present is much more of a an enveloping "wall of sound" than the more delicate, airy presentation of the 9s. The bass is powerful, dynamic, tuneful and detailed, with much more force, presence and slam than the 9s. For those concerned about the "goosebump" factor or PRAT, I can only say you've got to experience them because the music hits you in the gut, both physically and emotionally. Last night I listened to Nick Drake's "Bryter Layter," Rickie Lee Jones' "Traffic From Paradise" and then Heart's "Dog and Butterfly", each one from start to finish. The Dog portion of the Heart CD jumped out of the speakers. I had on a local classical music station (WCPE Raleigh) with my old Yamaha tuner yesterday afternoon, and from the next room, my wife commented on how much more weight there seems to be, and how much more the music seems to fill the entire house compared to the 9s. They have been relatively easy to place in my room and thus far have been a complete joy. 

Congratulations! Sounds great and that you're already happy with your speakers and I'm sure they will improve even more with playing and fine tuning of positioning! Have fun!